what's for dinner tonight {mexican quinoa casserole}.

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i love quinoa.  have you ever tried it?  if you haven't, you should.  it's considered to be a whole grain like rice and barley, but it's actually a seed.  it's easy to cook (very similar to rice) and tastes great plus it provides all nine essential amino acids, which makes it a complete protein.  super healthy, gluten free and absolutely delicious.

quinoa is very versatile; you can use it in breakfast dishes, salads and even baked goods!

are you convinced yet??

so, the other day my aunt told me she was making "mexican quinoa casserole" for dinner.  immediately i said "i need the recipe!!!" and grabbed my stuff to head to the grocery.

{i needed to get groceries anyway, but i definitely knew i needed to make this right away.  and i did; for dinner that same night}

oh.my.goodness, yall.  i'm so glad i did.  this is definitely one of our new favs and will probably make it into our nearly-weekly dinner rotation.  it's so healthy but doesn't compromise any flavor or delciousness.  i used to make mexican lasagna all the time, and this tasted almost exactly like it except way healthier!

still not convinced?

our ultra-picky-turns-her-nose-up-at-almost-every-vegetable-three-year-old was eating it by the spoonful... nosily.  "mmmmm...mmmmm, mama this is so yummy.  i really like it, i really, really do!"

enough said.

mexican quinoa casserole

* 1 c. dry quinoa
* 2 c. water
* 1/2 t. salt
* 2 T. olive oil
* 2 garlic cloves, minced
* 1 can of corn
* 3 bell peppers (any color), diced
* 1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced (i left this out because honestly, i'm a wimp!)
* 1 T. cumin
* 1 t. chili powder
* 1 T. fresh lime juice
* 2 cups tomatoes, seeded and chopped (discovered mine had gone bad, so i just used about a cup of salsa)
* 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
* 1/2 c. plus 2 T. (for garnish) fresh cilantro
* 1/4 c. plus 1/4 c. green onions, sliced
* 1/4 c. black olives, sliced
* 1 c. shredded cheese

- combine water, quinoa and salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.  then reduce heat to simmer, cover and allow to cook until all liquid is absorbed (approx. fifteen to twenty mintues).  fluff with a fork, set aside.
- over medium heat, add olive oil and garlic to skillet and saute for twenty seconds.  add corn, bell peppers, jalapeno, cumin and chili powder and saute for three minutes.
- add lime juice and tomatoes (or salsa) and saute for another three minutes.  transfer to mixing bowl with cooked quinoa.
- combine quinoa mixture with black beans, cilantro, green onions and black olives.  spread into a greased 8x8 baking dish, top with cheese and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

we topped ours with sour cream, salsa and diced avocado!  very yummy with tortilla chips; this is a great, gluten free, vegetarian, healthy option as a tasty dip or dish for the superbowl!

enjoy!